10 to 100 Dollar Watch

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Introduction: 10 to 100 Dollar Watch

About: Student, currently studying for my masters degree in Automotive Engineering. Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering. Car nerd living in Sweden.

I always wear a watch and enjoy alternating between wearing different watches. This makes me scan Tradera, the Swedish equivalent of eBay, for watches every other day to add to my collection. One day, a beat up GANT watch came up for auction, with a starting bid of only 10 dollars, and I felt I had to put a bid on it since I know that these watches in nice condition go for quite a bit more. As it turned out, I was the only one to bid and won the auction.

My original plan was to refurbish the watch to make it look like new and then sell it to make some money and try out a fun project, but as you will find out, this is not how it turned out...

Step 1: Nomenclature

Since not everyone may be familiar with the terminology used for watches, I think it is a good idea to start with a crash course in the nomenclature of a watch. There are many different names for the components but these are the ones that I will stick to in this instructable.

Step 2: Tools and Materials

These are the tools and materials recommended for the best outcome of this project. All tools and materials can be bought off eBay or Amazon.

Tools:

  • Watch case remover
  • Watch glass press
  • Dremel, with polishing accessories and polishing compound
  • Sandpaper
  • Glue
  • Watch link remover

Materials:

  • Watch crystal
  • Watch strap
  • Beat-up watch

Step 3: Dissasembly

Strap/pins:
If the watch has a watch strap or watch strap pins attached to it, the first step is, of course, to get these off. The strap is usually attached by pins on the inside of the lugs. To loosen these, take the tool and push the pin down on one side and maneuver it out. Some watch cases have what is known as open lugs, which means that there is a hole through the lug, whereby the pin can be removed by pushing the pin from the outside.

Back cover:
The second step is to remove the back cover to reach the movement. On this watch, the back was screwed on and could easily be unscrewed with a case remover as seen in the third photo. One could easily create a tool of their own for this purpose, but if you plan to work with several watches I would recommend you to buy the tool since it is not expensive and will come in handy in future work. Some watches do not have a screwed on back and are instead pushed on. In this case, there is usually a flange or an indentation where a knife or screwdriver can be inserted to ply the back off. In case of using a screwdriver, put tape on it or put some cloth in between the case and the screwdriver to not damage the watch. Note that there usually is a seal on the back cover (to keep dust/water out).

Crown:
Underneath the back cover there usually is a plastic piece. This keeps the movement+dial in place and can easily be lifted off with tweezers or a small screwdriver. To be able to get the movement and dial out of the case, the crown has to be detached from the movement. To do this, there is usually a marking with a small arrow pointing at a hole, a dot or something similar which should be pushed down. While pushing down on the marking/in the hole the crown can be pulled out.

Crystal:
The crystal can usually be pushed out by hand. In my case, the glass was cracked meaning that there was a risk of getting cut while doing this. To avoid getting cut and getting glass all over the place, the watch was put in a bag with a layer of cloth over it, and then the crystal was pushed out of the case. Note that there is a plastic sealing on the inside of the case.

So, there you go, your watch is separated into different parts. A tip is to have a box to put all the parts in to keep track of them because it is easy to lose these small parts!

Step 4: Restoration of Dial

In my case, the dial had a bit of dust on it and a minute marker had come loose. The dust can easily be removed by blowing on the dial, just make sure you do not accidentally spit on it.

The minute markers are usually glued in Place, or as in this case by first being pushed into two holes and then glued on. To make sure no marker would come loose in a near future I put a bit of glue where the pins connect to the back the dial on all markers. The glue used was regular super glue. After having applied the glue I smeared it using a tissue. While applying the glue it is a good idea to keep the dial inside the case to avoid damaging or bending the hands. Just be carefull not to glue the dial to the case.

Step 5: Restoration of Caseing

To get the watch looking like new all scratches should be removed from the casing and the back. This can be done by lots of sanding followed by polishing, first with abrasive paste and then polishing paste.

I started sanding with 1000 grit sandpaper since I was afraid the "lines of the watch" would disappear if using rougher sandpaper. From there I went to 1500, then 2000 and lastly I used 2000 grit sandpaper to wet sand. This will take some time, so put on a movie or your favourite tv-show while doing it since it is very monotonous. However, if you do this step properly you will not regret it since the watch will shine as it would have when it was new.

Lastly, polish the parts, first with abrasive paste and then with polishing paste. When I polished the rear cover of the Watch, polishing paste got stuck in the letters. Don't worry about it, this can easily be removed using a nail and by cleaning it with soap when you are done.

Step 6: Assembly

Assemble in the opposite way to the disassembly process as follows,

  1. Put the seal back into the casing, line up the crystal with the watch and use the glass press to force the new crystal into the casing. When doing this I put cloth on the crystal to avoid damaging it.
  2. Place the dial back into the casing, mount the plastic part on top of it and insert the axle and crown by pushing it in.
  3. Screw/push the back of the watch onto the casing. If it is a push on-back, it may be smart to again use the glass press since it requires a bit of force to mount it.
  4. Fit a new watch strap to make the watch look like brand new.

Step 7: (Sell) Enjoy Your Cheap "New" Watch

At first, I had planned to sell the watch and make a profit. However, after having put in the work shown in this instructable, I liked the watch to much to sell it so I added it to my collection instead, maybe the next one will be one I will sell instead, haha.

I hope you enjoyed this instructable and if you have any questions/doubts or tips, be sure to let me know in the comments. Thank you for reading all the way to the end.

//Tim

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    20 Comments

    0
    Soose
    Soose

    4 years ago

    Well done!

    0
    timdekker1825
    timdekker1825

    Reply 4 years ago

    Thank you, I'm glad you like it!

    1
    happydupa
    happydupa

    4 years ago

    Very nice instructable! I'm also a watch hobbyist and hate to see a nice watch tossed away instead of being repaired. One comment: Using the same technique, you can replace your glass crystal with one made of Sapphire. While being more expensive than glass it is virtually scratch resistant and will look like new for a lifetime. Sapphire is what they put on most of the higher end watches.

    For those asking how to size a crystal for their particular watch: You measure the old one and order a new using the same dimensions. For this you'll need a digital micrometer. Fortunately these are fairly inexpensive and you can buy them on eBay. Where to buy a replacement crystal? Two sources I've used: esslinger.com and crystaltimes.net

    0
    timdekker1825
    timdekker1825

    Reply 4 years ago

    Thank you for your nice addition to this instructable!

    And yes, I can't agree more about a sapphite crystal. However, since I got this watch so cheap and the overall value of the watch is not that high I did not want to spend the extra money on getting a sapphire crystal ;)

    Since I created this instructable I've actually added to new watches, both with sapphire glass, a quartz seiko watch and a certina ds1 powermatic 80 himalaya edition.

    0
    3nz01
    3nz01

    4 years ago

    How do you identify and purchase a watch crystal for a specific watch?

    0
    timdekker1825
    timdekker1825

    Reply 4 years ago

    Hello! As happydupa kindly described, the best way to identify the crystal is to use a caliper to measure the old one as well to measure the inside of the case with the seal fitted to see that it corresponds.

    For buying the crystal I will also refer to happydupas sources as well as taking a look on ebay and aliexpress.

    I hope this helps you!

    0
    gersec
    gersec

    Question 4 years ago on Step 7

    hi Tim, liked your instructible. is trader in english language also how would I find out which watches are more valuable than others.

    thanks

    gerry

    0
    timdekker1825
    timdekker1825

    Answer 4 years ago

    Hi gersec! Thank you for reading through my instructable.

    I'm not following what you mean with your first question. Could you reformulate it?

    About the value of watches, generally automatic watches are of course more expensive. The brand also adds to the value as well as how high the water proof rating and if the watch has a sapphire crystal. If you are unsure on the prize of a watch I would search on it at https://www.chrono24.com.

    0
    KenD46
    KenD46

    Question 4 years ago on Step 6

    I fail at the part where I replace the crystal. Would you please tell me how you size the crystal and do you need to buy a replacement rubber/plastic seal for the crystal as well? Thanks for the great instructable.

    0
    timdekker1825
    timdekker1825

    Answer 4 years ago

    What is it exactly that you are failing with?

    I used a caliper to measure both the broken crystal and the inside of the case with the seal fitted. The reason for measuring both was to be sure I got the correct dimension. And yes, while you're at it, it is better to also change the seal.

    0
    billbillt
    billbillt

    4 years ago on Step 7

    GREAT JOB, THANKS FOR THE TIPS.. I ALSO COLLECT WATCHES , BUT ONLY COLLECT WIND UP ONES...

    0
    timdekker1825
    timdekker1825

    Reply 4 years ago

    Your welcome! Cool, yeah I've also upped my game a little bit by buying an automatic certina ds1 powermatic 80 himalaya edition and a quartz sapphire seiko watch.

    Getting curious, please show me a photo of your collection :)

    0
    lknowles
    lknowles

    4 years ago

    Very informative. I too am a watch lover. You have given me inspiration to start yet another hobby.

    0
    timdekker1825
    timdekker1825

    Reply 4 years ago

    That's great to hear! I hope you get started :)

    0
    Handy_Bear
    Handy_Bear

    4 years ago

    That's a very neat background you have there!

    0
    timdekker1825
    timdekker1825

    Reply 4 years ago

    Haha thank you! It is actually taken in a shelf I have on my wall.

    0
    Annieswin
    Annieswin

    4 years ago

    You could make big bisiness! Nice instructables.

    0
    timdekker1825
    timdekker1825

    Reply 4 years ago

    Thanks for the kind words :)

    0
    Frits84
    Frits84

    4 years ago

    Very nice instructables. I wish you could refurbish my grandpa*s whatch. Voted for you!

    0
    timdekker1825
    timdekker1825

    Reply 4 years ago

    Thank you Frits!:)